Staff Bios
Wendy Everett, ScD
A pioneer and national health care leader, Wendy Everett, ScD, has dedicated her career to improving the quality and affordability of health care across the country, passionately supporting innovative approaches that stem rising health care costs and inefficiencies in the system.
With a breadth of health care experience spanning 40 years, Dr. Everett was chosen to oversee the formation of the NEHI in 2002 as its first president. Along with NEHI’s founders, Dr. Everett’s vision was to create an independent, research-based organization that convened diverse members of the health care industry to achieve the common goal of addressing the most urgent health care issues.
Under her leadership, this vision has resulted in ground breaking research on medical innovation, patient safety, health care spending and health care information technology, and has influenced significant national policy changes. Dr. Everett works with public and private policymakers to translate NEHI’s research findings into long-term solutions that improve health care quality and lower health care costs.
Previously, Dr. Everett held executive positions at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She has directed national demonstration programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundations. In the mid-1990s, she was Director of the Institute for the Future, leading the Health and Health Care research team and overseeing the creation of ten-year, national forecasts in health and health care.
In addition, she has served on the boards of many philanthropic foundations and non-profit organizations. Dr. Everett earned two bachelor of science degrees, and she holds master’s and doctoral degrees in health policy and management from Harvard University.
Valerie Fleishman
Valerie Fleishman provides the strategic and operational direction for NEHI. As Executive Director, she oversees the institute’s policy research, programs, operations, fundraising and communications. Under her leadership, NEHI's programs seek to improve chronic illness care, promote disease prevention and wellness, and speed the adoption of valuable innovations across the health care system. She has authored numerous reports, articles and briefs on a wide range of health policy issues.
Ms. Fleishman joined NEHI at its founding in 2002. She has over fifteen years’ experience in health care, health policy, technology and innovation. Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. Fleishman was a director in Health and Wellness at Scient Corporation, where she led strategic consulting engagements with leading biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical clients in areas such as telemedicine, disease management, health information technology, clinical trials, and sales and marketing strategies.
Previously, Ms. Fleishman was a manager in Arthur D. Little's Global Strategy Practice. She also worked in product management and brand marketing at Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Products.
Ms. Fleishman received her BA, cum laude, from Harvard University and her MBA from the Harvard Business School. In 2008, she was honored as one of Boston’s "40 under 40" by the Boston Business Journal.
Sheila K. Fifer, PhD
Sheila Fifer is a senior advisor for NEHI, working on the FAST (Fast Adoption of Significant Technologies) Initiative. She is a member of Mercer-Marsh's National Panel of Senior Healthcare Advisors where she is involved in projects concerning employer’s management of health care costs and employer benefits. She also serves as Panel Member for the Blue Shield of California Foundation’s California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF).
Dr. Fifer founded the Technology Assessment Group (TAG). As president and board chairman, she directed its expansion to multiple US and Canadian offices and opened an office in Oxford, England to manage a practice in international trials and studies. The firm conducted economic, reimbursement, survey, quality of life, outcomes assessment, and health-policy research and designed disease management interventions.
She consults for biotech and pharma firms on product market research and product valuation through outcomes research strategies, and for wellness firms in patient support services. Dr. Fifer began her career in government where she worked at the Congressional Budget Office and other policy and research organizations. She completed her BA at Brown University, and obtained both her MA and PhD in Public Policy at the University of Virginia, Woodrow Wilson School of Government.
Lisa Payne Simon
Lisa Payne Simon, MPH leads NEHI's Fast Adoption of Significant Technologies initiative, currently focusing on home telehealth and tele-ICU projects. Her areas of expertise include healthcare quality improvement, health technology, hospital-acquired infection, health services research and project management and evaluation. With over thirteen years experience in health philanthropy, she has designed and managed dozens of foundation grant programs and initiatives.
Ms. Payne Simon has been a consultant and senior advisor to healthcare improvement initiatives and foundations across the nation. Her recent clients include the Community Health Foundation of Western & Central New York, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the P2 Collaborative of Western New York (an Aligning Forces for Quality grantee), the Blue Shield of California Foundation and the California HealthCare Foundation.
She was formerly director of the Blue Shield of California Foundation’s Health and Technology Program and led the Foundation’s California Technology Assessment Forum activities. Previously, Ms. Payne Simon held a number of positions at the California HealthCare Foundation, including senior program officer and deputy director of the Quality Initiative. Prior to that, Ms. Payne Simon was manager of Medical Outcomes Research with Blue Cross of California.
Ms. Payne Simon has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics, from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ellen Evans
Bringing a unique blend of health policy and business development experience, Ellen Evans leads NEHI’s national membership recruitment and development activities, helping to shape the organization’s growth strategy as it expands its national reach and impact across an increasingly dynamic group of health care stakeholders.
Ms. Evans joined NEHI in 2012 with more than 21 years of health care experience, having successfully worked with a variety of health care constituencies – including hospitals and other providers, pharmaceutical/biotech/device manufacturers, health plans and consumer advocates – to navigate complex reimbursement, health reform and practice management issues, to name a few.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms Evans spent seven years with the Advisory Board Company, a health care think tank/consulting/information technology firm and most recently served as Senior Director, Performance Technologies, responsible for leading complex technology demonstrations and implementation discussions with hospital C-Suites. During her tenure with the Advisory Board she delivered hundreds of presentations to health-system executive and leadership teams and Boards of Directors on a multitude of topics including the impact of legislative/regulatory policy changes on hospital strategy and operations.
Ms. Evans also served as a Business Development Executive with the surgical devices division of Covidien, a multi-national health care company, and as Senior Associate/Manager of Strategic Health Policy Services for Covance Health Economics and Outcomes Services.
Ms. Evans received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her master’s of health services administration with a health policy concentration from the George Washington University.
Nick King
Nick King works to bring NEHI’s vision to the professional world and the public. He focuses on promoting, publicizing, and getting media coverage for NEHI’s reports and initiatives, and on making sure that NEHI connects with our broad membership base. He also works to make sure that NEHI’s reports reach health care policy makers.
Mr. King brings extensive experience in journalism and communications - including writing, editing and strategic planning - to his role at NEHI. He comes to NEHI from the Boston Globe, where he held a series of increasingly high-level positions over 30 years, including editor of the newspaper’s opinion page, editor of the Globe’s special sections and editor of the Boston Globe Magazine In 1975, he was a member of the Globe team covering the school busing crisis in Boston, for which the paper received the Pulitzer Prize for public service.
Mr. King is a graduate of Harvard University with a BA in English.
Tom Hubbard
Tom Hubbard leads NEHI’s projects on comparative effectiveness research, patient medication adherence, and prevention and wellness initiatives. Mr. Hubbard leverages his policy and technology experience to examine ways the country’s health care system can be transformed, focusing on the promotion of medical innovation and the improvement of quality and efficiency in clinical care.
Mr. Hubbard came to NEHI after seven years at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), where he led industry-focused projects and supervised the annual publication of the MTC Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. His work has included supervising the I-495 Technology Corridor Partnership, an industry-municipal collaboration on growth, and leading projects on broadband deployment, federal research funding advocacy, and nanotechnology.
Previously, Mr. Hubbard served as Executive Assistant for Economic Affairs to U.S. Senator John Kerry, as Deputy Director of Development for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and as Director of Community Development and Planning for the City of Gardner, Massachusetts.
He is a graduate of Harvard College and holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Michael Kelleher
Michael Kelleher leads NEHI’s research projects on payment and finance reform as well as the delivery system and health technology. Mr. Kelleher has proven health care policy expertise in both the public and private sectors. His work has focused on identifying ways to lower health care costs while focusing on the quality of health care, measuring outcomes and rewarding innovation.
Mr. Kelleher came to NEHI after working with the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange where he oversaw its operational development as well as provided health policy leadership on a number of ACA policy considerations. Prior to the Exchange, Mr. Kelleher spent several years at Genzyme Corporation where he led the company’s efforts to develop strategies around new commercial and policy opportunities in emerging markets. Additionally, he served as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Program Manager at the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission.
Mr. Kelleher holds a bachelor of political science from American University and a master’s in public administration from Suffolk University.
Erin Zuena Bartolini
Erin Zuena Bartolini undertakes the day-to-day research, analysis and policy activities in NEHI’s high priority program areas.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. Bartolini worked as a Consultant in the Health Care and Life Science Strategy and Operations Practice at Deloitte Consulting. She served clients from across the health care industry on various health reform-related engagements. Previously, Ms. Bartolini was a Research Associate at Genzyme Corporation where she developed cell lines and assays for manufacturing and gained a deep understanding of research and development. She also held graduate internships in global pricing strategy at Genzyme Corporation and clinical business development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Ms. Bartolini holds her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health.
Pamela Milton
Pamela Milton is the administrative genius behind NEHI’s success. She works in a variety of areas and oversees recruiting, training and supervising administrative help, administration of benefits, vendor relations and space management. She also works with outside experts to arrange meetings and conferences.
Ms. Milton has extensive administrative, finance, technology, and office management experience in both non-profit and educational organizations. Prior to joining NEHI, she served as Senior Executive Assistant to the President of Citizens International, the non-profit energy services consulting firm headed by former U.S. Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II. Ms. Milton also served as the Senior Staff Accountant to the Chief Financial Officer at Citizens Energy Corporation. Her positions at Citizens required a great deal of contact in the U.S. and abroad with foundations, ambassadors, ministers and presidential offices.
Before joining Citizens, Ms. Milton served as the Senior Staff Accountant for Arichelle Technologies and the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. She is also a five-time United States Dance and Figure Skating Champion and Gold Medalist.
Sonia Furtado
Sonia Furtado provides key support to NEHI's communications team. She oversees NEHI's social media, develops collateral and assists with media outreach. In addition, Ms. Furtado provides vital support on event planning.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. Furtado was a sales supervisor at Charles David of California and a productivity consultant at Franklin Covey Co. While working in retail, Ms. Furtado trained new employees on sales standards and educated them on product knowledge. Ms. Furtado was also a camp counselor for five consecutive summers at the Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program, a non-profit camp run by Phillips Brooks House Association that offers affordable camp for children in Cambridge.
Ms. Furtado received her bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Suffolk University. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma international honor societies.
Cate Jones
Cate Jones supports membership and development efforts at NEHI, where she focuses on enhancing the organization's network of members and partners.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. Jones was an administrative assistant at the Vocational Advancement Center in Brighton, a non-profit that provides training and employment services to people with disabilities, helping them achieve career goals and improve their quality of life. Ms. Jones also spent three years in Oxford, England working as the Children’s Ministry Worker in a large parish church where she directed and organized the programs and events for more than 150 children and their families.
Ms. Jones earned an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from The American Intercontinental University in London.
Deanna D'Souza
Deanna D’Souza provides key support to NEHI’s executive leadership focusing on time management and scheduling.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. D’Souza was an office coordinator at Sea-Dar Construction, a high- end residential contractor in Boston, where she was responsible for daily office operations, event planning, and business development. Previously, Ms. D’Souza was an administrative assistant and sales associate in residential real estate industry. Ms. D’Souza also volunteered extensively with animal rescue organizations, working to increase animal adoption and reduce focused on reducing animal overpopulation.
Ms. D’Souza holds a her bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Psychology and Legal Studies from Harvard University Extension School.
Casey Gillis
Casey Gillis provides critical office support for the NEHI team. She manages vendor relations, supports events, and executes day-to-day operations for the organization.
Prior to joining NEHI, Ms. Gillis worked in customer service at a local business for six years. While completing her degree, Ms. Gillis worked as an assistant teacher at The Holway Child Study Center-The Barn with children ages infant to 5 years. While at school, Ms. Gillis volunteered her time to help with tax preparation for low income families. She also served for three years as a peer mentor for incoming students at Lasell College.
Ms. Gillis holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lasell College.
Aaron Chalek
Aaron Chalek supports NEHI’s program team, focusing on medical simulation and other health care innovations.
Mr. Chalek is also the director of operations for the Progressive Business Leaders Network (PBLN), now the Alliance for Business Leadership, where he was responsible for the daily operations of the organization as well as the coordination of sector-specific working group initiatives. Prior to PBLN, Mr. Chalek served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member as a development coordinator at the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, a non-profit youth center for "at-risk" and under-served youth. Mr. Chalek has also recently held internships at the Boston office of Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health, and the Disparities Action Network.
Mr. Chalek received his bachelor of arts in international relations and government from Clark University. He is currently pursuing a joint masters in public policy and masters of business administration degree through the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, where he is a 2012 Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program Fellow.
Michael Nickerson
Michael Nickerson supports NEHI’s program team, focusing on patient medication adherence and prevention/wellness research.
Mr. Nickerson has prior experience in health care nonprofits, fundraising and health services research. He previously worked as the fund development coordinator at Rhode Island Free Clinic, a nonprofit health center offering comprehensive medical care for the state’s uninsured, low-income residents. While at the Clinic, he wrote, edited and submitted grant proposals; coordinated fundraising initiatives such as mail appeals and donor events; and assisted in PR/communication efforts. Mr. Nickerson also served as the grant programs intern at Williamsburg Community Health Foundation in Virginia, where he oversaw grants to various nonprofits in the service area and tracked grantees’ progress in the Chronic Care Collaborative and school nutrition program areas.
Mr. Nickerson earned his B.S. in Public Health, with a minor in Biochemistry, from the College of William & Mary. He is currently a graduate student in the MPH program at Boston University School of Public Health, concentrating in Health Policy & Management.
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